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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · fan · saw · race · shower · rock · pass · hide

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rock — music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. race — humankind
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. shower — rain
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com